The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari by Robin S. Sharma

The monk who sold his Ferrari is a tale which provides an approach to living a simple life with greater balance, strength, courage and abundance of joy. The fable format is a refreshing change from the tiresome listing of all the good things we could do for ourselves but do not. It makes the message being conveyed linger in our minds. This well crafted story by Robin S. Sharma is the tale of Julian Mantle, a lawyer brought face to face with a spiritual crisis after having a heart attack and collapses in the courtroom. Julian had worked day and night without caring about his mental and physical health. That helped him become a very rich and successful lawyer but took a toll on his health and mental state.

Julian had achieved everything most of us could ever want: professional success with a seven figure income, a grand mansion in a neighborhood inhabited by celebrities, a private jet, a summer home on a tropical island and his prized possession, a shiny red Ferrari parked in the center of his driveway.

Following his heart attack, he quit his law firm, sold all his property and embarks on a life-changing odyssey to India. During this journey he learns the value of time as the most important commodity and how to cherish relationships, develop joyful thoughts and live fully, one day at a time.

John, who is a friend as well as co-worker of Julian, narrates the story. Three years passed without any news from Julian. One day he paid a visit to John, who was now a cynical older lawyer. But Julian, in the past three years, had been miraculously transformed into a healthy man with physical vitality and spiritual strength.

Julian relates his experiences with Yogi Raman, the leader of the sages of Sivana and the person who taught Julian his secrets of a happy and fulfilling life. He narrates to John the fable that contained the seven virtues for a life abundant with inner peace, joy and a wealth of spiritual gifts. He tells John how to cultivate the mind and how to use setbacks for expanding knowledge of the self. He talks about setting and following our own purpose and teaches John the ancient art of self-leadership with techniques such as “do the things you fear” and “the 5 step method for attaining goals”. He describes techniques such as “the ancient rule of 20” and “the vow of silence”. He teaches how to focus on the priorities and thereby maintain a balance and simplify life. He gives examples that prove, will power is the essential virtue of a fully actualized life.

Julian teaches John the virtue of selflessness in serving others. He asks John to embrace the present and live in the present - “Now”, never to sacrifice happiness for achievements and to savor the journey of life and live each day as his last one. At the end he asks John to spread these secrets for the benefit of other people. For the reader who might be in the rat race for material success and money, this book might be food for thought.

The monk who sold his Ferrari is available at Taylor’s libraries. The call number is F SHA.

About the Author

Robin Sharma is one of the world’s leading experts on leadership and personal development. His books have been published in over 50 countries helping millions of people and organizations create extraordinary results. Robin is also a widely respected CEO advisor having worked with Fortune 500 CEOs and leaders all over the world on leadership, change management and high performance in business.

Robin is the founder of Sharma Leadership International Inc. a global training firm with a simple mission: to help people Lead without Title. In a recent independent survey of the world’s top leadership gurus by leadershipgurus.net, Robin appeared in the top 10 with Tom Peters, Jack Welch and John Maxwell.

Reviewed by Komathi Somasundaram, Taylor’s College Sri Hartamas Library.